Air-ship.



PATENTED MAR. 19,

J. M. MILLER.

AIB, SHIP, l .APPMGATION FILED 00T. a. 190s.

James M Malle@ anisin of the air-ship may be varied with re- Amedium JAMES M1 MILLER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

.cue-seni. f

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 19:07,

Appleton filed' october 3,1906. semina. 337.285.

To all, whom/131'; may concern: y

Be it known that l, JAMES M; MiLLEit, a citizen of the United States, residing/at Washington, District of Uolunibia,.have invented certain new and useful improvements in Airl Ships, of which the following a speciiical tion.

The invention relates to an improvement in air-ships comprehending speciiically a construction tending to a positive diriga ble control of the air-ship. 1

The main object of the invention is the provision of a supporting medium or ges-bag constructed in independent sections, provision being made for the control of the sections at the will el the operator by means of the car mechanism to lprovide for delecting either or any ol said sections from the line of travel of the air-Ship, whereby to utilize said section or sections as :in auxiliary steering Another object ol the invention is the provision of means where by the propelling incohspect to the speed thereof without interfering with the constant aud continuous rate of speed ol the motive power, whereby theA power of the propelling inecl'ianisin may be readily controlled at the will oll the operator without necessitating a corresponding. government of the niotor.

The invention in itsl preferred. details of construction will be described in the following speci'iiciition, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation ot an nir-ship constructed in accordance with ni y invention und Fie. 2 is a plain of the cui', illustrating pai'- ticularlr the ineztns l'or controlling its' sections and the sections of the gas-bag and the means for controlling thecar ineclutnism and the propelling inediuin, the gas-bag being .shown in dotted lines. Referring to the drawings, in which like ret- 'l erenco-iuiinerols ieler to like parts throughout the several views, niy improved :tir-ship comprises a gas-bag 1 which for the purposes of the present invention nuiy be of -uny :tpproved inaterial oriiny any desir'elrljfoni in cross-section. The gas-bag divided into threeisectilste uiaii'i or centrati Asection 2 and endseetions 5 and 4; assliown. The end "sections, hereinafter referred to es the auxiliary steering sections, are Wholly distinct and separate from each other and from the mein section, so far as communica l tion is concerned, being connected lto the mein section by any preferred form oi. joint connection, as 5, so constructed and arranged as to permit independent lateral movement of the steering-sections relative to the main section.

e As above described, it is to be understood that the gas-bag forming the supporting inediuin for the air-ship is, in effect, a plurality of independent gas-receptacles connected :it their 4ends by a pivotal connection of catch ol the sections. n

A ear or cage 6 ot' any form or material is rigidly supported from the niain or middle section ot the gas-bag by metallic or other straps 7, said straps being preferably continued to provide a reinforcing-frame.for the main section of the gas-bag. To each endof the car is pivotally connected ra steeringframe S, preferably cone shape, as shown, and providednext the adjacent end of the car with it cone-shaped base Q., The apex of the hnse i) is pivotiilly connected, through the medium ol connections 10, with the proximate end. of the car, said connections permitting a swinging inoveinent of the sect-ion 8 relative to the cxir proper. Each steeringsection is directly connected, through the mediumeine, rigid framework 111, with the auxiliary steering-section of the gas-bag lying irnn'iedietely above it, the connection being euch that any movement ol the steering-section 8 necessitates a coresponding movement ci the auxiliary steerinU-section of the gas-bug. The movement of t e steering-sections of the car is controlled by the operator by cables 12, connected to the respective outermost points of each of the Asteeririg-sections En' and projecting within the car proper, being guided throughout their length in suitable guide-rollers.

Within the cfu' disposed the motor 13, which nuty be oli any type, designed 'to be constantly und continuoi'ltsly operated at a uni torniv rate of' speed. ol" the motor is in the foriu ol: u. friction-disk 14. The propelling power of; the air-ship consists in propellers l 5 of ordinary forni, mount- .ed itt the lree end ot each ol" the steering-sectionsl S, said propellors beine supported 'upon a drive-shaft 1G, extendingongitudinally of the our and ol" the steering-sections, said shaft being divided by universal-joint connections at 17 to permit independent movement of' the steering-sections 8 Without interfering with which. will permit a free swingingmovenient The dri ving medium to ositively control the. direction'of travel,l

eit er straight 'or circling, by reason 'oftheir '5 adaptability to beset' and operated either in alinement or at an an leto eachother. 'A friction-disk 18 isfeat ered upon thedriveshaft and 'arranged for c onst'ant engac'ement with they triction-dislr'of the motor. n T orio' dinery form of mechanism, as abend-lever f or. the lilre, isoperatively connected with the friction-disk 18, whereby the operator may adjust said dish longitudinally of the driveshaft and thereby regulate the speed of said v drive-shaft by varying the operative ath of thediskvlgrelative to the center of t 1e Ericti'on-disk" 14, as'will be obvious. A weigh-t 19 is suspended beneath the car, being arran ed for'travel'longitudinallly of :c the car at t e wil'o'fvneperator through the medium of a cable 20. Thefweio'ht constitutes a shifting ballast by which the operv ator may depresseither end of the carv and or descend withcause the air-shri'tb ascend .z 5 out leaving his/seat. i

i ln operation tlief"motor, fand uniformly driven, is controlled-toiinipart .the desired :speed t'o the propellers 'by the manual .shifting of fthe friction-disk .18, asvgo niaybene'ces's'ary. l Shonld'the operatori de- F'sire tocha'nge the course of thefair-shi'p, he 1 .lwill operate the cables 12-to deflect the for- .'wardor rear or bpth sections' 8 of the car in the 'direction desired. This movement of the sections 8 compels a corresponding movement o'iltl'ie connected section of the 'gas-bag;

' thereby ritiliting the resistance of said as- .bag section against the `further straight travel of the air-ship and positively insuring 40 the turning of the air-ship asdes'ired.

It is of course understood that the propel- 1ers 15 4operate in conjunction to exert a progressive effect upon the carin the same direction, the forward propeller being constructed.

. -for a drawingorce 'and the rear propeller for a ushing'force. Operation of 'the shifting ba last will depress e1 her the forward or rear end of the car, as de ired, with the eilect to y j cause the propellers td drive the carin an upward or downward direction.

vi't is ,to be particularly understood thatthe s eciiic form or vthe gas-bag or the carer of t e steering-sections is"wholly immaterial so far as the present invention is concerned, as

5 5 the salient feature thereof resides in a gasbag for air-ships having independent scc- .tions controlled' for movement at thc will ol" the operator to aid in steering theair-ship.

Furthermore, the continuously' and con- 50'- st -ntlydriven motor, in connection with the 4end pro ellers andthe means to control the `s eed-o lsaid propellers from the uniformly-9 riven'- motor, .'is` another important feature i of the present invention. 65. The lair-sliip-1of my miprovement utilizes beingfconstantly senese the air-currents as an assistance in stcc-ningr the ship, thc resistance of the deflected scction of the gas-bag servingr of necessity to similarly deflect thc path olf travel ol the nirship. The air-ship described, it will be noted, may thus be positively steered, varied as to speed without ncccssitatinpr control of the motor: and deflected in an upward or downwari'l direction without requiring tho operator to move from hisscat in the car.

in connection with the movable sections ol the gas-bag it is to bc particularly nolcd that the operator is thereby given an added control over the movement ol" the air-ship when navigating unusual air-currents, as hc may so .deflect either or both of said sections as to readily compensate for and thereby obviate the ell'ects of any air-current tending to de i'lect him from his desired course.

TWhile l havelioi" purposes of illustration shown. sind described the gas-bag as comprising but three sections, i wish it to be nnderstood that it is within the scope of my invention to employ any number of sections desired, as may seem consistent and necessary to meet the emergency arising.

Having thus described. my invention, what I claim is l. A n air-ship comprising a balloon having a movable section, anda pro iellin T means snpported by and movable with the kballoonsection, whereby the power of the pro rolling vmeans is always directed in line with t c balloon-section.

2. An air-ship comprising a balloon having a movable steering-section, means for (iperating said steering-section, and balloon-propeiling means having a relatiyely lixed connection with the section, wherbby the line of power is alwaysxed with relation to.the-

balloon-steering section.

3. An air-ship having independent steeringsections, and independent ship-propelling means each supported' by and operative with one of the balloon-sections, whereby any particular propelling means is always operative vin line with the particular balloon-section with which it is connected.

4. A balloon having independently-movable steerinfr-sections, and a propelling means having fixe relationr tol each section, whereby the propelling power is always in line with the steering direction'.

5. 'An air-ship comprising a balloon including movable sections, a car supported thereby and coinprisin movable sections connected to the Inova le sections ofthe balloon, and ship-propelling meansv carried by and movable with. each car-section,

(i. An air-ship comprising aballoon including movable sections7 a car .having movable,

portions connected to the respective sections of the-balloon, and a ship-propelling means carried byl and movable with each car-section,

and means for adjusting the car-sections.

7. An air-ship comprising a balloon havf| ing movable end sections, a car supported by the balloon and having movable end sections connected to the respective ond sections of lthe balloon, and simultaneously -operated propellers, cach of said propellers being supported by and movable with one of the oarsectvions.

In tstimony whereof 1 have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 1o two subscnbmg wltnesses.

JAMES M. MILLER.

Witnesses: WALTER A. WILLIAMS,l BURR N EDWARDS. 

